


In the end

by Cala



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-13
Updated: 2010-04-13
Packaged: 2017-10-08 22:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/80031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cala/pseuds/Cala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the end, there is no fireworks. No battle cries or golden eyes. There are no screams, no running, no wasted prayers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the end

**Author's Note:**

> noelia_g is made of awesome and deserves a shrine for the patience and looking over the grammar in this thing.  
> Written for [LJ]comment_fic

In the end, there is no fireworks. No battle cries or golden eyes. There are no screams, no running, no wasted prayers.

When it's his time to breathe the last breath, Arthur of Camelot, the greatest king Albion has ever had, dies differently to how he led his life. He goes quietly, almost peacefully. Not paying any attention to the blood slowly soaking up the bandage on his side. Not feeling the pain that was there mere seconds ago. He knows it's the end and that this time, unlike all those many, many times before, there will be no miracles. There will be no tomorrow.

But it's fine, he whispers. To himself and to the world. He's tired of fighting, he's earned his peace. Just like he has won it for Albion.

All his life, he has fought to unite the land and bring peace to all his subjects. Exactly the way he had promised once. He fought, he loved, he saved lives and he took lives. He was noble and just. And never a prat, despite what certain old servants would like to think.

And if there was anything he had ever regretted, it was the fact that he couldn't take those certain menservants with him to wherever he was going. Arthur couldn't remember a time when he wasn't accompanied by his idiot of a manservant on a journey. When he didn't have his friend with him.

But now, as he was lying on the ground, allowing Merlin to hold him in those final moments, he decided he couldn't just leave his friend all alone, with no King to protect him from his own stupidity.

"I'll see you again," he whispered with a soft smile.

Merlin laughed nervously and anybody who would look at his face at that moment would know that he didn't believe Arthur one bit and that it was killing him.

"So you think you are a more powerful warlock than me?" Merlin asked. Arthur knew the other man tried to tease him, but the tears running down his cheeks destroyed the effect. And then something broke inside Merlin and the smile disappeared from the other man's face. "I tried, Arthur... God only knows I tried... There's nothing I could do. I tried a spell after spell, none of them worked. They... They didn't want to work... I'm so sorry... I can't do anything... You... You can't either"

It broke Arthur's heart to see Merlin like that. He remembered a younger Merlin, smiling happily because he managed to tease Arthur. And he wanted to see that smile again.

"Watch me," he whispered with his final breath.

In the end, there is no fireworks. No battle cries or golden eyes. There are no screams, no running, no wasted prayers.

When it's his time to breathe the last breath, Arthur of Camelot, the greatest king Albion ever had, dies differently to how he led his life. He goes quietly, almost peacefully. Completely unaware of the magic he had just performed, for the first time in his life. Setting in motion future events that will bring him and his annoying manservant together again. Forcing destiny to write itself the way Arthur wants. Making sure that the greatest king Albion has ever had would be born again.

If only to make sure that a certain boy with magic in his veins doesn't hurt himself with his stupidity.


End file.
